A treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to Doctor Forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, What is a minister?

SECT. XI. His fourth Argument answered.

THat which is a Seal of the Covenant, and our Incorporation into the Church visible, that cannot be the form of it.

At primum verum, Ergo.

I put down his very words, which forceth me to adde his Mi∣nor, But Baptism is the Seal, &c. Ergo, Baptism is not the form.

This Proposition he proves thus, Because the Seal comes after the thing sealed, but the form goes before. These things are so grosly delivered, and so without all illustration, that it is hard to speak to it, for this is all he speaks in that place to this busi∣ness: what he addes against Mr. Rutherford, I am nothing con∣cerned in, nor do I know what Mr. Rutherford replyes to this, nor can conceive it by him. In a word, I deny his Major. That (say I) which is the Seal may be the form of the Cove∣nant, in such cases where the Seal is made an essentiall part of it, as in such deeds where Sealing is necessary, as in Law, where signing, sealing, and delivering, altogether, make the form of that Covenant where they are so required; and Baptism is all these: so that if he had said, that which is a Seal alone cannot make the form, I would have denyed his Minor, and have said, that Bap∣tism is not a bare Sign, as he will and doth confess, but signing and delivering on both sides.

Now to illustrate this Proposition; in such cases such Seals as I have described, are the form of those Covenants. Consider, that the form of every thing is that which gives it ability to work that which is its proper work; this doth signing, sealing, and de∣livering do: every Deed is like a dead body before, but when

sealed it receives a soul, and is able to work, which it could not do before. Again, the form of every thing is the last addition to it; that which he speaks, in his proof that a form goes before the thing sealed, or rather informed or constituted, and a Seal comes after, is very vain and weak: for it is true, as it being a constituting principle, and a cause of that it produceth, it is there∣fore, as the Logicians speak, prius naturâ, non effectu, before it in na∣ture, not in time. The Sun is in nature before its light, because its light proceeds out of it; fire before heat, yet they are simul tempore, children of the same birth, and one cannot be without both are. The soul of man is before a man in nature, because it is a constituting cause; yet by them that hold it created, Crean∣do infunditur, & infundendo creatur; and they that hold it ex Traduce, give it no prae-existence in time to the man; and what he sayes of a Seal, it comes after: in such cases where Seals are essentiall, they are before the Seal comes, and like a soul put in∣to a body, it gives it ability to work, and in that state is prece∣dent in nature. So that you see, Seals in such Deeds as well as forms, are before the vivacity of a Covenant in nature, though both are simul in time; and therefore such Seals may be forms, and indeed are forms, as is before exprest, being that which gives the Covenant sealed its form and power to work, and likewise the last thing which comes to actuate that thing in which it is: but because that when the Seal is gone, yet the form of the Covenant remains, and forms having permanent beings as Seals transient, it may be further doubted how Seals can be forms. This I urge, though not a Book-Objection, (as indeed I do not find the Question disputed in the School under this Notion) but only which started it self in my thoughts whilest I was writing, and indeed may do so with others, for I am unwilling to let any thing pass which may disturb a Readers assenting; and therefore in An∣swer to this Objection do say, that although the Seal be gone, yet its image, its likeness, when it is gone, remains in the Wax, which is as valid to all its intentions, as it self, and is the Seal, ef∣fective, in its morall existence, to all those morall effects which it produceth: so it is in Baptism; there is that the School calls the Character, which remains after the act of Baptism is gone, and is powerfull to all its effects. I did avoid to speak of this intricate business, hoping I might have escaped it; but

since I cannot, do thus undertake it now, and define it thus.